Pocono homeless get helping hand as relief from deep freeze is in sight

Here's a glimpse at how the low temperatures affected life in the Poconos Wednesday:

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poconorecord.com

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Posted Jan. 24, 2013 at 12:01 AM

Posted Jan. 24, 2013 at 12:01 AM

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Here's a glimpse at how the low temperatures affected life in the Poconos Wednesday:

The number of motorists to call AAA in the last two days because their car batteries were dead increased by 75 percent, said Craig Smith, a spokesman for AAA of Northeast Pennsylvania. The AAA in Northeast Pennsylvania usually gets about 200 calls per day for dead batteries but that jumped to 350 calls per day over the last two days, Smith said.

More people are calling heating companies because the systems in their homes are breaking down. According to Lisa Sodano, an office manager at Aire Serve, a heating and air-conditioning company that serves the Poconos, some people do not properly maintain their heating systems during the year. So when really low temperatures hit, systems in subpar condition are likely to break down.

"It's like not taking care of a car — never changing the oil or something — and then trying to go up a really steep hill with that car," she said.

Some homeless people in Monroe County are still living on the street in this weather even though beds are still available at the Salvation Army shelter, said James Gingrich, head of the Salvation Army in East Stroudsburg.

He said he knows for certain people are still living underneath bridges in Stroudsburg despite the fact that the Salvation Army shelter offers a warm place to sleep. He said the Salvation Army staff Wednesday night would travel to "hot spots" — places where the homeless congregate and sleep — with the organization's canteen truck.

The Salvation Army usually brings the truck — filled with sandwiches, hot coffee and free clothes — to disaster zones but he thought it would be important to use it Wednesday night considering the weather.

Though it was cold Wednesday temperatures will moderate next week. National Weather Service meteorologist Greg Heavener said temperatures next week should rise to around 31 degrees, normal for late January.